The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union (MELPWU) has issued a two-week ultimatum to the government, demanding financial clearance for employment or face potential labour unrest.
According to the Union, over 3,000 of its members are currently sidelined, adding strain to the workload in public hospitals.
The General Secretary of the Association Dr. Cephas Akortor disclosed this in an exclusive interview with 3news.
Since 2018, the government has failed to secure any financial clearance for Medical Laboratory Scientists, despite ongoing efforts by their leadership to engage with officials.
These unproductive discussions have only contributed to a rising workload for members across public hospitals. As a result, hospital management has been forced to hire casual workers, earning 700 cedis a month, to fill the gaps.
To make matters worse, other allied health professionals are also in the same position, with a total of 30,000 professionals awaiting postings but to no avail.
As tensions rise, agitations have already begun among the Medical Laboratory Scientists nationwide.
Mr Akortor expressed concern that any further delay could spark industrial action.
“There is serious agitations now they have lost hope in us. In fact the insults we receive daily, so as we speak the unemployed group are mobilizing and even the colleagues that have been employed now are also complaining of workload, so there is tension. People are calling for agitations but as leaders we are trying our best but if our best is not meeting their hopes then you can imagine what will happen,” he said.
Mr Akortor noted that, “In the coming days, we cannot guarantee next line of action as leaders because we think is long overdue and people are awaiting for financial clearance to be given and if nothing is done within the immediate period we are not to be blamed.”
Mr Akortor also shared his frustration with the current workload, which has only worsened due to the lack of financial clearance.
“It is not appropriate for a professional to be on duty alone because whilst you are there any emergency may happen, and you may need the help of a colleague. There was a situation where someone was on a night duty alone and she passed on whatever happened in the laboratory before she died only God knows. The next day her colleagues came to find her in the lab. So we feel that the situation is that serious and the employer should prioritize it,” he pleaded.
The General Secretary revealed that repeated engagements with the ministries of Health, Finance, and Fair Wages and Salaries Commission have yet to produce any tangible results.
“As we speak, across the country we have seven hundred staff who are on Internally Generated Funds. These people who are on IGF are given salaries far below, their pensions are not catered for, and they are not promoted. Even when there is increment, they don’t get it. This year for example we have ten percent they are not going to benefit,” he said.
“Every six months management continue to renew their contract with them and see this to be the government or employer taking advantage of our people, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Health have not said anything,” Mr Akortor lamented.
